Automatic lead pencil



Jan. 20, 1931. J. A. KIEDROWSK! AUTOMATIC LEAD PENCIL Filed March 22, 1930 ATTpRNEY Patented Jan. 20, 1931 UNITE JOHN A. KIEDROWSKI,

or CHICAGO, rumors AUTOMATIC LEAD rnnoxn Application filed March 22, 1930. serial No. 438,217.

This invention relates to an automatic lead pencil, the general object of theinvention being to provide means whereby any one of-a number of leads carried by the pencil can be 6 moved to projected position, so that by maning the leads ofdiflerent colors, for instance, the one pencil can be usedfor'writing in different colors.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means for retracting and projecting the leads, with means for selecting the lead which it is desired to write with.

This invention also consists in certain other features of'construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to

be hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In ClQSCIll'JlIl the invention-1n detail ret- V erence will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which V Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through the invention.

Figure 2 1s a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1. i I Figure 1 is a section on line 41& of

Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on line'5 5 *of Figure 1. p Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure'l. I

Figure 8 is a sectional View through the cam-collar. v p 49 Figure 9'is a fragmentary elevation showing the indication marks for the adjustment of the cam collar to project the lead of the desired color.

In these views, the numeral 1 indicates the pointed member at the front end of the pencil, which is formed with a reduced rear part 2 and a number of longitudinally extending bores 3 are formed in said member and its extension, these bores converging and merging at the end of the member.

' Asmall threaded shaft 1 is locatedin each bore and alead holder 5 is connected with the front end of each shaft, a spring 6 being con-. nected with the holder and theshaft to provide a resilient connection between the two parts. The lead is shown 7 A. pin, provided with a rounded head 8, passes through each shaft adjacent the front end thereof, with the headof the pin engaginga longitudinally extending groove 9 in the wall of the bore so that thisflpin prevents rotary movement of .tlicshaft and acts to hold the shaftwith thelead in proper position in the bore.

A bushing 10 is fastened to the rear end of the extension 2 by the bolts 11 or the like. said bushing having a. reduced front part which is formed with a number of openings to. receive the toothedwheels 12, with portions of the wheels projecting from the reduced part. The wheels are located in different planes and each wheel is formed with a hub 18 which is rotatably arranged in thebushing and extends throughthe rear end of the bushing. These hubs are internally threaded to engage the threads ofthe shafts so that when the wheels or gears are turned, the shafts are moved longitudinally so as to project 0r retractthe leads.

A collar 14. is rotatably mounted on the reduced part 2 and abuts the shoulder formed at the unction of said reduced part with'the pointed part 1 and said collar is knurled externally and is formed with'the cain grooves 15 internally. is

A sleeve 15 is placed on the reduced part 2 and has'a flange 16 at its front end which abuts the collar and said sleeve has a threaded exterior part which is engaged by the internal threads at the front end of the tubular body 17 A sleeve or tube 18 is rotatably arranged in the body and carries a ring gear 19 at its front end which is adapted to engage with any one of thegears 12. This ring gear has exterior projections 20 which engage slots 21 in the sleeve or tube 18 so that the ring gear will rotate with the sleeve and has limited sliding movement therein. The rear end of the sleeve 18 is formed with a reduced part 22 which'passes through a sleeve like.

23 threaded in the rear end of the body 17, the collar or sleeve 23 acting to hold the sleeve 18 in the body. A cap 24 is pressed on the reduced part 22 so that when the cap is turned, the sleeve 18 and the ring gear will be also turned. This cap is formed with a reduced hollow part 25 which extends into the sleeve 18 and is designed to hold a number of leads. An eraser member 26 is frictionally held by the cap and acts as a cover for the lead compartment. 1

The reduced part 2 is formed with the longitudinally extending grooves 27, in each of which is placed. a bar 28 having its front bent end engaging a cam groove 15 and its rear bent end engaging an annular groove 29 in the ring gear, so that when the cam collar 14 is turned, the bars 28 are moved longitudinally due to the engagement of their bent ends with the cam grooves 15 and. thus the ring gear 19 is moved forwardly or rearwardly in the sleeve 18. This ring gear in its forward position, will engage gear 12 of one of the shafts l, in its intermediate position, the ring gear will engage another of the gears 12 and in its rear position, will engage the third gear 12. Thus by turning the cam collar 14, the ring gear can be placed in mesh with the gear 12 of the lead which it is desired to retract or project and then by turning the cap 24, the sleeve 18 and the ring gear are turned to impart rotary movement to the gear 12 which is in mesh with the ring gear and this turning movement of the gear 12 will impart longitudinal movement to the shaft 4: which passes through the hub of the gear 12. Thus a lead can be drawn into the device and another lead projected therefrom by first engaging the ring gear with the gear of that shaft which is to be moved and then turning the cap 24 to move the shaft longitudinally. As before stated, by having the leads of different colors, the one pencil can be used for writing in different colors.

The pencil is provided with the usual cap 30 for covering the cap 24 and the eraser 26 and it is also provided with the member 31 for holding the pencil in a pocket or the This member 31 is formed with the pointed engaging part 32 for insuring a tight grip on the material of the pocket.-

The member 1 may be formed of sections as shown at 1" in Figures 5, 6 and 7 and in this case, a cap 1 is placed over the sections to hold them in position, as shown in Fig ure 1.

The cam collar leis formed with a mark which co-operates with indicia on the pointed part of the device for enabling the collar to be set to cause the operating means to project the desired lead, as shown in Figure 9.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, =7

provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

WVhat I claim is 1. A pencil of the class described comprising a body having a plurality of bores therein, the bores converging to the front end of the pencil, a. threaded shaft in each bore, a lead holder connected with the front end of each shaft, a plurality of gears in the body having threaded bores therein through which the shafts pass, a ring gear in the body, means for adjusting said ring gear toplace it in mesh with any desired gear and means for rotating the ring gear to cause the gear with Which it engages to move the shaft longitudinally.

2. A pencil of the class described comprise ing a body having a plurality of forwardly converging bores therein, a threaded shaft in each bore, a lead holder connected with the front end of each shaft, a plurality of gears in the body having threaded bores therein through which the shafts pass, a ring gear in the body, a sleeve rotatably arranged in the body and to which the ring gear is slidably but non-rotatably connected, a cap at the rear end of the body and connected with the sleeve for rotating the same, a cam collar carried by the body, members having projections at their front ends engaging the grooves of the cam collar, the rear ends of said members having projections engaging a groove in the ring gear whereby turning movement of the cam collar will bodily move the ring gear so that said ring gear can be placed in mesh with any one of the gears.

3. A pencil of the class described comprising a body having a plurality of forwardly converging bores therein, a threaded lead carrying shaft in'each bore, a plurality of gears in the body having threaded bores through which the shafts pass, said gears being arranged in different planes, a ring'gear in the body, means for bodily moving the same to place it in mesh with any one of the gears and means for rotating the ring gear to cause the gear with which it meshesto move-a shaft longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN A. KIEDROVVSKI. 

